Yanjun Zhao ——Professor
Nationality:
CHINA
Phone:
022-27407882
Email:
zhaoyj@tju.edu.cn
Office:
Room 412-1, Building 24, Tianjin University
School:
School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology
ResearcherID:
J-6955-2012
Group weblink
http://faculty.tju.edu.cn/zhaoyj
Education Experience
2005-2010 Ph. D. Pharmacy King’s College London, UK
2002-2005 M.S. Biochemical Engineering Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, CAS
1998-2002 Bachelor Polymer Dalian University of Technology
Professional Experience
2009-2009 Research Scientist MedPharm Ltd. (UK)
2010-2012 Lecturer Tianjin University, China
2012-2018 Associate Professor Tianjin University, China
2018- Professor Tianjin University, China
Research Area

The research in the group of Zhao encompasses four main areas, including (1) Stimuli-responsive drug delivery systems; (2) Ferroptosis-targeting nanomedicines; (3) Photo-triggered microtubule inhibitors; (4) Pharmaceutical micelles, biomaterials and nanomaterials.

Ferroptosis-2.jpg
Honors and Awards
2024, 2020: Mentor for Outstanding PhD Thesis, Tianjin University
2013: Tianjin University “Elite Scholar”
2009: Chinese Government Award for Outstanding Self-financed Students Abroad
2005: Dorothy Hodgkin Postgraduate Awards
Patents
CN Patent: ZL 2013 1 0755965.7
CN Patent: ZL 2014 1 0008911.9
CN Patent: ZL 2016 1 0364893.7
CN Patent: ZL 2016 1 0615003.7
Highlighted Publications
Tian S, Zhou S, Wu W, Lin Y, Wang T, Sun H, Aniwan A, Li Y, Wang C, Li X, Yu P*, Zhao Y*, 2024. GLP-1 receptor agonists alleviate diabetic kidney injury via β-klotho-mediated ferroptosis inhibition. Adv Sci, in press.
Luo J, Shang Y, Zhao N, Lv X, Wang Z, Li X*, Meng X*, Zhao Y*, 2025. Hypoxia-responsive micelles deprive cofactor of stearoyl-coA desaturase-1 and sensitize ferroptotic ovarian cancer therapy. Biomaterials, 314, 122820.
Fan L, Du P, Li Y, Chen X, Liu F, Liu Y, Petrov AM, Li X*, Wang Z*, Zhao Y*, 2024. Targeted liposomes sensitize plastic melanoma to ferroptosis via senescence induction and coenzyme depletion. ACS Nano, 18(9): 7011-7023.
Gao Z, Zhang J, Hou Y, Lu J, Liang J, Gao Y, Li B, Gao S, Zhao Y*, Gao M*, Chen J*, 2024. Boosting the synergism between cancer ferroptosis and immunotherapy via targeted stimuli-responsive liposomes. Biomaterials, 305: 122442.
Luo J, Li Y, Li Y, Chen X, Du P, Wang Z, Tian A,* Zhao Y*, 2023. Reversing ferroptosis resistance in breast cancer via tailored lipid and iron presentation. ACS Nano, 17(24): 25257-25268.
Li Y, Wang J, Li Y, Luo J, Liu F, Chen T, Ji Y, Yang H, Wang Z, Zhao Y*, 2023. Attenuating uncontrolled inflammation by radical trapping chiral polymer micelles. ACS Nano, 17(13): 12127-12139.
Chen T, Qin Y, Li Y, Li Y, Luo J, Fan L, Feng M, Wang Z, Zhao Y*, 2023. Chiral polymer micelles alleviate adriamycin cardiotoxicity via iron chelation and ferroptosis inhibition. Adv Func Mater, 33(30): 2300689.
Li Y, Qin Y, Shang Y, Li Y, Liu F, Luo J, Zhu J, Guo X, Wang Z, Zhao Y*, 2022. Mechano-responsive leapfrog micelles enable interactive apoptotic and ferroptotic cancer therapy. Adv Func Mater, 32(29): 2112000.
Liu F, Zhu J, Dai P, Deng J, Qin J, Yuchi Z, Fan A, Wang Z, Zhao Y*, 2021. Double-lock nanomedicines enable tumor microenvironment-responsive selective anti-tumor therapy. Adv Func Mater, 31(38): 2009157.
Guo X, Liu F, Deng J, Dai P, Qin Y, Li Z, Wang B, Fan A, Wang Z*, Zhao Y*, 2020. Electron-accepting micelles deplete reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate and impair two antioxidant cascades for ferroptosis-induced tumor eradication. ACS Nano, 14(11): 14715-14730.
Zhu J, Dai P, Liu F, Li Y, Qin Y, Yang Q, Tian R, Fan A, Medeiros SF, Wang Z*, Zhao Y*, 2020. Upconverting nanocarriers enable triggered microtubule inhibition and concurrent ferroptosis induction for selective treatment of triple-negative breast cancer. Nano Lett., 20(9): 6235-6245.
Meng X, Deng J, Liu F, Guo T, Liu M, Dai P, Fan A, Wang Z, Zhao Y*, 2019. Triggered all-active metal organic framework: ferroptosis machinery contributes to the apoptotic photodynamic antitumor therapy. Nano Lett., 19(11):7866-7876.
Gao M#, Deng J#, Liu F, Fan A, Wang Y, Wu H, Ding D, Kong D, Wang Z, Peer D, Zhao Y*, 2019. Triggered ferroptotic polymer micelles for reversing multidrug resistance to chemotherapy. Biomaterials, 223: 119486.